INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Civilian researchers led by Paul Allen, a entrepreneur and philanthropist, say they have found the wreck of the USS Indianapolis that went down on July 30, 1945 after delivering parts of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
The wreckage was found in more than 18,000 feet of water by the crew of Research Vessel Petrel, that is owned by Allen on Saturday.
“To be able to honor the brave men of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and their families through the discovery of a ship that played such a significant role in ending World War II is truly humbling,” said Allen. “As Americans, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the crew for their courage, persistence and sacrifice in the face of horrendous circumstances. While our search for the rest of the wreckage will continue, I hope everyone connected to this historic ship will feel some measure of closure at this discovery so long in coming," said Allen.
There have been searchers for the ship in the past but the search this time was successful due to the R/V Petrel and upgrades made to it for the search.
“The Petrel and its capabilities, the technology it has and the research we’ve done, are the culmination years of dedication and hard work,” said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Mr. Allen. “We’ve assembled and integrated this technology, assets and unique capability into operating platform, which is now one amongst very few on the planet.”
Another factor that led to the success of locating the wreck was new information that was developed putting the search area west of the presumed location of where the USS Indianapolis went down.
The expedition team are surveying the full site and a live tour of the wreckage will occur in the next few weeks.
The ship remains the property of the U.S. Navy and the exact location will remain confidential and restricted.